Improved method of feathering the sails or vanes of windmills



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE. v

J. C. VILSON AND TG. VILSON, OF CEDAR I-IILL, TEXAS.

IMPROVED`METHOD OF FEATHERING THE SAILS OR VANES OF WINDMILLS.

Specication forming part of Letters Patent No. 16,943, dated March 31,1857.

To all whom, t may concern.-

Be it known that we, J. C. WILSON and T. G. WILSON, of Cedar Hill, inthe county of Dallas and State of Texas, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Wind- Wheels; and we do hereby declare that the followingis a full7 clear, and exact description of the construction andoperation of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings,forming part of the same, in which Figure l is a face view of the Wheel.Fig. 2 is a section through axis of shaft, showing one win g and rodsconnected therewith. Fig. 3 is a view showing action of springs upon thewings, one wing, a section of shaft, and a portion of the rim beingshown.

Similar characters of reference in the several iigures denote the sameparts.

The nature of our invention consists in a means of bringing the edges ofthe wings to the wind for the protection of the wheel during storms.

In the drawings, A is the main shaft placed horizontally and geared withthe lnill-shaft in the usual manner.

W IV are `the wings, each movable upon one of the arms a, radiating fromthe shaft A. These arms are held firm by braces b. The wings are allconnected by rods c with the slide-piece cl, movable between stops e andj' on spindle g. Behind each wing is a spring 7a., with a roller fr' invits extremity. These springs'are fastened upon a rim k, secured to armsct, and are regulated in strength by screws Z.

In the extremity of the shaft A is inserted a screw m, which when movedoutward will carry stopf against slide-piece d, so as to produce themovement of said slide in direction of the axis of the shaft, and bydrawing on rods c turn the edges n of the WingsV in direction of thesaid slide-piece. The springs h are of suflicieut strength to resist thepressure of wind necessary for turning the wheel, and when a sudden awoccurs they will yield temporarily to the pressure thus exerted againstthe wings and force the wings to resume rheirposition when the increasedpressure is removed. The slide-piece d moves along spindle g during theaforesaid. action.

XVhen storms occur, the crank q is held by the miller, causing therotation of the wheel to produce the outward movement of the screw m,which, acting on rods c, will draw the edges 'nof the wings in directionof the outer extremity of the shaft A and cause the wings to lie inplanes passing through the axes of arms o andmain shaft A. The wind willthen be able to act on their edges only and no damage to the wheelensues.

What we claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the traversing screw m, having stops e and f, asdescribed, with the slide-niece, and rods leading to the wing, theconstruction and arrangement being substantially as and for the purposesdescribed.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto signed our names before twosubscribing witnesses.

J. C. WILSON. T. G. XVILSON. Witnesses:

GEO. PATTEN, v JOHN S. HOLLINGSHEAD.

